Have You Turned Into Your Father Yet?

Yesterday I was jockeying for position trying to change lanes with some teenager who seemed intent on not letting me in and I heard somebody say "This is MY road, son". After looking in the rearview mirror to make sure my dad wasn't in the back seat, I realized I was the one who said it. I always hated when he said that. I've also taken to polishing my dress shoes once a week and putting my face up really close to the mirror to inspect myself. Yep, Coach Mike is slowly turning into Dr.Tom.

In many ways I am a lot like my dad and it was that way even when I was young. At family get togethers I am often told, "You remind me so much of your dad." I don't mind,. I have a lot of respect and love for him and we were very close. I wish he had not passed away while a still relatively young man as far as life expectancy goes.

I love my parents, but I wouldn't want to turn into either of them, and I'm always watching myself to make sure I don't end up like them. I've always wondered what it'd be like if I had good positive role models when I was growing up--the lack of any probably explains why I might be kind of fucked up. I do think it's quite sweet for some people who end up like their parents though.

Well I was always like my dad in some ways, I've always seen the similarities regarding certain topics for example, likes and dislikes, behaviour and reaction to certain situations. I haven't really picked up some of his habits or sayings but I mean, you grew up with the man and have known him from birth so obviously he'll rub off on you.

I think that's kinda cute how you picked up the good traits, I mean it'd have been bad if you picked up the bad traits. That's what I do as well, try to take the good from him and avoid the bad.

I am the age at which my father died. When he and Mom came East to see me for that Christmas, 1968, I noticed my Dad looked really old for the first time. He had a heart attack in March 1969 and died. I know it's superstition or such, but I do feel eerie being the same age as he was when he passed. I'm also feeling seriously old this year, for the first time.

Mercy, I do hope not. Though I think my temperment is a mixture of of my mom, dad, and a few other important folks who had major impacts on my life.

I get my dad's dry sense of humour and sarcasm and tendency to stubborness which is softened by my mom's conciliatory way of patching over things or making peace with folks.

There is only one thing that I would like to be closer to be like my father in, and that was his ability to cultivate friendships and somehow attract people who had a sense of loyalty to him as friends. Also he was a bit more emotionally open with people, whereas I can be a bit cold and standoffish toward people.

Beyond that, he was quite bi-polar and extremely difficult to get along with when living under the same roof. The loyal friends mentioned above didn't have to endure that (or could opt to go home if Dad's passive-aggressive streak started to emerge).

yeah, damn it to hell...more and more, like telling myself to "man the fuck up" all the time, Or making sure I have plenty of time before work, Or putting all my boy toys away before dinner.When I find myself saying or doing something he'd do, I fight off the urge to stab myself repeatedly and think maybe he wasn't such a train wreak after all; maybe, more of one of those, tractor trailer hanging off a sky-bridge, leaking toxins into the nearest towns drinking supply, type of wreck.

antelope saidI am the age at which my father died. When he and Mom came East to see me for that Christmas, 1968, I noticed my Dad looked really old for the first time. He had a heart attack in March 1969 and died. I know it's superstition or such, but I do feel eerie being the same age as he was when he passed. I'm also feeling seriously old this year, for the first time.

I'm sorry to hear your story, and the lose of your Dad.

I lost mine when I was almost 48, he 84. He had a series of heart attacks over 6 weeks, and I had to revive him on 3 occasions, waiting for the EMT. You have any idea how much that ages you?

But more to the point of this thread, I realized I was turning into my Father in my early 40s. Not a problem, just sorta amused me. I always thought I took more after my Mother. But no, I was now my Dad.

Well, I could've done worse than him, in fact it was an honor to be like him. It was just the last thing I expected, a total surprise. Teaching me once again, along with my surprising late realization that I was gay, that self-perceptions are often faulty. I now wonder if the person we know least is our own self.

I feel like there's some subtext here that turning into your father is a bad thing...

My dad is one of the most driven and successful people I've encountered in my life...and I hope that when I enter the actual career-field that I have some of his managerial skills, so in that sense...I wouldn't mind turning into my dad.